Pillow assembly

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a pillow insert. The pillow insert includes a plurality of sleeves, wherein each sleeve is substantially filled with a soft material and attached to an adjacent sleeve at least at one end and partially or completely unattached along an adjacent side. Each sleeve is substantially against the adjacent sleeve such that a pillow surface is provided. Also provided is a pillow assembly comprising the pillow insert, a padding component, and a cover.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/867,400, filed Jun. 27, 2019, the disclosure of whichis incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure provides a pillow insert. The pillow insertincludes a plurality of sleeves, wherein each sleeve is substantiallyfilled with a soft material and attached to an adjacent sleeve at leastat one end and partially or completely unattached along an adjacentside. Each sleeve is substantially against the adjacent sleeve such thata pillow surface is provided. Also provided is a pillow assemblycomprising the pillow insert, a padding component, and a cover.

BACKGROUND

Pillows serve to keep the user's upper body in alignment during sleep,relieving pressure and counterbalancing points in the body. A properpillow not only enhances user's sleep but also provides adequate supportfor supporting the user's head, neck, shoulders, hips, and spine,thereby preventing or alleviating back and neck pain and stiffness.Pillows should adjust to fit the user's body shape and sleeping habits,and standard-sized pillows may not be suitable as a “one size fits all”model.

For example, for back and neck sleepers, a thicker pillow may cause theneck to become misaligned with the spine by pushing the neck too farforward or back. In some cases, a thinner pillow may allow the neck tomaintain at a neutral angle and provide better rest.

Challenges associated with the production of thin pillows includeforming an even, flat surface, preventing the pillow filling fromforming clumps, and preventing the pillow from sinking substantiallyupon applying pressure. For improved comfort and experience, a pillowshould have few seams which can be felt by the user, which has theadditional benefit of preventing lines or marks left on the user incontact with the pillow.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a pillow insert and pillowassembly including a substantially flat planar pillow surface uponapplication of pressure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In some embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to a pillowinsert including a plurality of sleeves, wherein each sleeve issubstantially filled with a soft material and attached to an adjacentsleeve at least at one end and partially or completely unattached alongan adjacent side, wherein each sleeve is substantially against theadjacent sleeve such that a pillow surface is provided.

In further embodiments, the present disclosure provides a pillowassembly including a pillow insert comprising a plurality of sleeves,wherein each sleeve is substantially filled with a soft material andattached to an adjacent sleeve at least at one end and partially orcompletely unattached along an adjacent side, wherein each sleeve issubstantially against the adjacent sleeve such that a pillow surface isprovided; a padding component arranged on at least one outer side of thepillow insert; and a cover, wherein the pillow insert and the paddingcomponent are encased in the cover.

In still further embodiments, the present disclosure provides a pillowassembly including a pillow insert comprising a plurality of sleeves,wherein each sleeve has a shape of a cylindrical tube, is substantiallyfilled with a soft material, and each sleeve is attached to an adjacentsleeve at a first end and unattached along each adjacent side, whereineach sleeve is substantially against the adjacent sleeve such that apillow surface is provided; a first padding component substantiallycovering a first outer side of the pillow insert; a second paddingcomponent substantially covering a second outer side of the pillowinsert; an inner cover configured to encase the pillow insert and thefirst and second padding components to limit movement therebetween; andan outer cover configured to encase the inner cover, wherein the pillowassembly is about 2 to about 3 inches in height in an uncompressedstate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description of embodiments hereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings,which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification,further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable aperson skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention. Thedrawings may not be to scale.

FIG. 1 illustrates a pillow insert according to an embodiment herein.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top-down view of a pillow insert including sleeveshaving a shape of a rectangle or cylindrical tube and attached invarious configurations according to embodiments herein.

FIG. 3 further illustrates a top-down view of a pillow insert includingsleeves having a shape of a rectangle or cylindrical tube and attachedin various configurations according to embodiments herein.

FIG. 4 further illustrates a top-down view of a pillow insert includingsleeves having a shape triangle and attached in various configurationsaccording to embodiments herein.

FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B, FIG. 5C, FIG. 5D, FIG. 5E, and FIG. 5F illustratetop-down views of pillow inserts including sleeves having variousshapes, according to embodiments herein.

FIG. 6 illustrates a pillow assembly including a pillow insert and apadding component, according to an embodiment herein.

FIG. 7 illustrates a pillow assembly including a pillow insert and acover, according to an embodiment herein.

FIG. 8 illustrates a pillow assembly including a cover, which isencasing a pillow insert and padding component, according to anembodiment herein.

FIG. 9 shows a curved pillow shape in accordance with embodimentshereof.

FIG. 10 shows a contoured pillow shape in accordance with embodimentshereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and isnot intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of theinvention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by anyexpressed or implied theory presented in the preceding field of theinvention, background, summary or the following detailed description.

As used in this specification, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the”specifically also encompass the plural forms of the terms to which theyrefer, unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. The term “about”is used herein to mean approximately, in the region of, roughly, oraround. When the term “about” is used in conjunction with a numericalrange, it modifies that range by extending the boundaries above andbelow the numerical values set forth. In general, the term “about” isused herein to modify a numerical value above and below the stated valueby a variance of 20%. It should be understood that use of the term“about” also includes the specifically recited number of value.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a pillow insertsuitable for a pillow assembly. The pillow insert includes a pluralityof sleeves, wherein each sleeve is substantially filled with a softmaterial and attached to an adjacent sleeve at least at one end andpartially or completely unattached along an adjacent side. Each sleeveis substantially against the adjacent sleeve such that a pillow surfaceis provided.

FIGS. 1-4 illustrate top views of a pillow insert 100 in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention. In such embodiments, pillowinsert 100 includes a plurality of sleeves 110. Each sleeve 110 includesfirst end 116, second end 115, outer side 114, and adjacent side 112.Each sleeve 110 is attached to an adjacent sleeve 110 at first end 116via attachment point 118. The plurality of sleeves 110 are arrangedadjacent to one another along a longitudinal axis LA.

As described herein, each sleeve is substantially against the adjacentsleeve. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, each sleeve 110 is suitablywithin about 1-2 inches apart from an adjacent sleeve, such that eachsleeve is substantially against the adjacent sleeve. In embodiments,sleeves can be substantially against each other in that they aretouching or have less than about 1-2 inches, suitably less than about 1inch, or suitably less than about 0.5 inches between adjacent sleeves.

In embodiments, upon applying pressure to one or more outer sides of theplurality of sleeves, each sleeve under pressure presses against theadjacent sleeve such that a pillow surface is provided. By “applyingpressure to one or more outer sides of the plurality of sleeves,” it isunderstood that the pressure is not required to be applied while indirect contact with the outer sides 114 of the sleeves 110. Thus, insome embodiments, the plurality of sleeves is in contact with a paddingcomponent and/or a cover provided herein, and the pressure is applied tothe outer side 114 of the plurality of sleeves via contact with thecover and/or the padding component. In other embodiments, the pillowinsert is part of a pillow assembly, and the pressure is applied to theouter sides 114 of the plurality of sleeves via contact to the pillowassembly. In yet further embodiments, the pillow assembly is covered,and the pressure is applied to the outer sides 114 of the plurality ofsleeves via contact to the covered pillow assembly. The amount and/ormethod of applying the pressure is not limited, so long as the pressureis not too great such that the sleeves burst, thereby breaking thepillow insert and/or pillow assembly. The amount of pressure required toburst the sleeves, or to break the pillow insert and/or pillow assembly,can be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art.

As used herein a “pillow surface” refers to a structure that is anyshape shorter in height than in width and depth, suitable for use insleeping. By “substantially flat planar pillow surface,” it is meantthat the pillow insert 110 varies in height P_(H) (see FIG. 7) by lessthan 25%, preferably less than 20%, or more preferably less than 10%across the entire length and width of the pillow insert. Thus, a user ofa pillow assembly having the pillow insert would not feel bumps orridges on the pillow surface.

Advantageously, the pillow surfaces provided herein, and suitably thesubstantially flat planar pillow surface, provides neutral alignment ofthe user's head, neck, and spine when resting on the pillow assembly. Insome embodiments, the pillow insert is about 2 to about 3 inches inheight P_(H) (see FIG. 7) in an uncompressed state. In alternateembodiments, the pillow insert is about 3 to about 6 inches in heightP_(H) in an uncompressed state. In further embodiments, the pillowinsert is about 2 to 6 inches, about 2 to 5 inches, about 2 to 4 inches,or about 2 to 3 inches in height P_(H) in an uncompressed state. Infurther embodiments, the pillow insert is about 2, about 2.25, about2.5, about 2.75, about 3, about 3.5, about 4, about 4.5, about 5, about5.5, or about 6 in height P_(H) in an uncompressed state. Inembodiments, the pillow insert does not change substantially in heightin a compressed state compared to the uncompressed state, i.e., thepillow insert changes in height by less than about 40%, less than about35%, less than about 30%, less than about 25%, less than about 20%, lessthan about 15%, less than about 10%, or less than about 5% whencompressed from the uncompressed state.

A further benefit provided by the pillow insert 110 of the presentinvention is the lack of seams felt by the user, which providesincreased comfort and also does not leave undesirable marks or lines onthe skin of a user, which may occur when using pillows that have seamseither on the pillow cover or pillow insert. In embodiments, with eachsleeve being substantially against an adjacent sleeve of the pillowinsert, the pillow surface is substantially seamless. Accordingly, insome embodiments, upon applying pressure to one or more outer sides 114of the plurality of sleeves of the pillow insert, the substantially flatplanar pillow surface is substantially seamless. As used herein,“substantially seamless” means that seams are not visible in the surfaceof the pillow assembly, and/or that seams are not felt by a user of thepillow assembly, or that seams can be felt, but at a minimal level suchthat the comfort of the user is not impacted, or that seams do not leavemarks or lines on the skin of a user. In embodiments, the pillow insertsdo not comprise any seams at their adjacent sides, and are prepared froma single piece of continuous fabric such that no seams are visible orcan be felt at the adjacent sides.

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, sleeves 110 can have any suitable shape. Inembodiments, each sleeve has a shape substantially of a triangle, arectangle, a square, a hexagon, an octagon, a cylindrical tube, or across. In an embodiment, each sleeve has the shape of a cylindrical tube(see, e.g., FIG. 1). In general, a cylindrical tube suitable for thepillow sleeves 110 has a substantially circular cross-section and has alength typically greater than its diameter, e.g. the length of thecylindrical tube is longer than the diameter by about 10% or more, about50% or more, about 100% or more, about 150% or more, about 200% or more,or about 500% or more. In embodiments, the length of the cylindricaltube is about 2, about 3, about 4, about 5, about 6, about 7, about 8,about 9, or about 10 times the diameter of the cylindrical tube. Inanother embodiment, each sleeve has the shape of a triangle (see, e.g.,FIG. 4). Further exemplary embodiments of sleeve shapes are illustratedin FIGS. 5A-5F. The sleeves may have any shape, so long as they arecapable of being attached at least at one end, partially or completelyunattached along an adjacent side, and, upon applying pressure to one ormore outer sides of the plurality of sleeves, each sleeve under pressurepresses against the adjacent sleeve such that a substantially flatplanar pillow surface is provided. As described herein, in embodiments,the pillow inserts do not comprise any seams at their adjacent sides,and each insert is prepared from a single piece of continuous fabric (orotherwise manufactured) such that no seams are visible or can be felt atthe adjacent sides.

In additional embodiments, the lengths of sleeves 110 can be varied suchthat different shapes can be created (e.g., crescent, curves (see FIG.9), shell-shapes, circular shapes, etc.) as may be desired or beneficialas a pillow surface. In further embodiments, the diameter and/orthickness of sleeves 110 can be varied throughout the pillow insert, andconnected with different height sleeves, so as to generatecontour-shaped pillow surfaces, etc. (see FIG. 10).

Attachment point 118 between adjacent sleeves can be positioned at anysuitable end of each sleeve. In some embodiments, each sleeve 110 isattached to an adjacent sleeve at a same end, e.g., as illustrated inFIG. 2, wherein each sleeve 110 is attached to an adjacent sleeve at afirst end 116. In other embodiments, sleeves 110 are attached to oneanother at alternating ends, e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 3, showingthat a first sleeve of the plurality of sleeves is attached to a secondsleeve via attachment point 118 at a first end 116; the second sleeve isthen attached to a third sleeve via attachment point 118 at a second end115; etc. This alternating attachment can continue throughout the entirepillow insert length (longitudinal axis (LA)).

In further embodiments, the sleeves are attached to one another at afirst end 116 and a second end 115. For example, each sleeve is attachedto an adjacent sleeve at first end 116 and second end 115. In someembodiments, the sleeves are attached to one another at the first and/orsecond ends in any combination or configuration. For example, eachsleeve in the plurality of sleeves may be attached to an adjacent sleeveat a first end 116, a second end 115, or both ends 116 and 115, in anycombination, throughout the entire length (longitudinal axis (LA)) ofthe pillow insert.

According to certain embodiments illustrated herein, e.g., in FIGS. 1-4,each sleeve is completely unattached along an adjacent side 112. Inthese embodiments, each sleeve is not forced to move along thelongitudinal axis LA even when its adjacent sleeve may be moving orexpanding along LA, thus allowing each sleeve to be substantiallyagainst an adjacent sleeve, and to press against the adjacent sleevewhen under pressure and form a pillow surface and suitably asubstantially flat planar pillow surface.

In further embodiments, a sleeve 110 may be partially attached to anadjacent sleeve along an adjacent side 112. For example, as illustratedin FIG. 5C, an adjacent point of attachment 150 can exist along anadjacent side 112 between each sleeve and an adjacent sleeve. In suchembodiments, sleeves 110 are still capable of expanding and/or movingalong the longitudinal axis LA without forcing an adjacent sleeve tomove along LA, thus allowing each sleeve to be substantially against anadjacent sleeve, and to press against the adjacent sleeve when underpressure and form a pillow surface and suitably a substantially flatplanar pillow surface.

Methods of attaching a sleeve at attachment point 118 to its adjacentsleeve can be selected by the ordinarily skilled artisan. In someembodiments, the ends of the sleeves are directly sewn together. Forexample, when the sleeves have corners at their ends, the corner of onesleeve may be sewn to the adjacent corner on the adjacent sleeve. Infurther embodiments, the sleeves are attached via a connecting means.Non-limiting examples of connecting means include, e.g., a ribbon,thread, rope, or a length of fabric material that spans the ends of thesleeves to be attached; or a fastener at the ends of the sleeves to beattached, such as hook and loop fasteners, magnets, buttons, snappingfasteners, clips, and the like. In embodiments wherein the adjacentsides of the sleeves are partially unattached, any means of attachmentprovided herein is suitable for partial attachment of the adjacentsides. FIGS. 5A-5C also illustrate exemplary locations of attachmentpoints 118 of each pillow insert 110.

In embodiments, the plurality of sleeves 110 are arranged adjacent toone another along longitudinal axis LA across the pillow insert 100,i.e., the sleeves are not stacked such that their outer sides 114 are incontact with one another, but are placed such that adjacent sides aresubstantially against each other to provide a pillow surface.Accordingly, in embodiments wherein pressure is applied to one or moreouter sides 114 of the plurality of sleeves 110, each sleeve underpressure presses against the adjacent sleeve along an adjacent side 112,thereby providing a substantially flat planar pillow surface across LA.

The plurality of sleeves 110 are substantially filled with a softmaterial. Any suitable soft material filing may be used for the presentinvention. In some embodiments, the soft material comprises polyesterfiberfill, down, feather, foam (e.g., shredded memory foam), orcombination thereof. Further exemplary soft materials for filling theplurality of sleeves include, but are not limited to, buckwheat hull,microbead, shredded latex, kapok, cotton, gel, wool, and the like. Anycombination of the materials described herein can be used to fill theplurality of sleeves, and each sleeve in the plurality of sleeves may befilled with the same or a different material. As described herein, theamount of material filled into sleeves can also be varied to createdifferent shapes or contours of pillows as desired.

In some embodiments, provided herein is a pillow assembly, comprising: apillow insert comprising a plurality of sleeves, wherein each sleeve issubstantially filled with a soft material and attached to an adjacentsleeve at least at one end and partially or completely unattached alongan adjacent side, wherein each sleeve is against the adjacent sleeve toprovide a pillow surface. Suitably, upon applying pressure to one ormore outer sides of the plurality of sleeves, each sleeve under pressurepresses against the adjacent sleeve such that a substantially flatplanar pillow surface is provided. The pillow assembly suitably furthercomprises a padding component arranged on at least one outer side of thepillow insert; and a cover, wherein the pillow insert and the paddingcomponent are encased in the cover.

A pillow assembly according to an embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 6.In FIG. 6, pillow assembly 200 includes pillow insert 100 comprising aplurality of sleeves 110, as described herein, and padding component120. The padding component 120 may be substantially filled with a softmaterial or padding component 120 may itself be made directly of a softmaterial. In embodiments, the padding component comprises polyesterfiberfill, down, feather, foam (e.g., shredded memory foam) orcombination thereof. Further exemplary soft materials for the paddingcomponent are provided herein and include, but are not limited to,buckwheat hull, microbead, shredded latex, kapok, cotton, gel, wool, andthe like. In some embodiments, the padding component 120 and sleeves 110comprise the same soft material. In other embodiments, the paddingcomponent 120 and sleeves 110 comprise different soft materials.

In some embodiments, e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 6, padding component120 is arranged on an outer side of the pillow insert 100. The outerside of the pillow insert comprises the surface formed by the outersides 114 of the plurality of sleeves. In embodiments, the paddingcomponent 120 substantially covers the outer side 114 of the pillowinsert 100. By “substantially covers,” it is meant that at least 80% ofthe surface area formed by the outer sides 114 of the plurality ofsleeves of the pillow insert 100 is covered by the padding component120. In some embodiments, “substantially covers” means that at least80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or about 100% of thesurface area formed by the outer sides 114 of the plurality of sleeves110 of the pillow insert 100 is covered by the padding component 120.

Each sleeve of the plurality of sleeves in the pillow insert comprisestwo outer sides 114. When viewing the pillow insert in a top-down viewsuch as in FIG. 2, first outer side 114 a of the plurality of sleevesfaces the viewer, while the second outer side 114 b faces away from theviewer. Thus, in some embodiments, padding component 120 is arranged onboth a first outer side 114 a and a second outer side 114 b of thepillow insert. In certain embodiments, padding component 120 isconfigured to fold along the length of one end of the plurality ofsleeves so as to be arranged on both first outer side 114 a and secondouter side 114 b of the pillow insert (i.e., padding component 120 is acontinuous padding layer). In alternative embodiments, padding component120 comprises a first padding component and a second padding component(i.e., separate components). In such embodiments, the first paddingcomponent substantially covers the first outer side 114 a of the pillowinsert, and the second padding component substantially covers the secondouter side 114 b of the pillow insert.

Cover 132 according to embodiments herein is illustrated in FIG. 7.Cover 132 may be provided to limit movement of the plurality of sleeves110, so as to facilitate handling of the pillow assembly 200. Forexample, cover 132 may limit movement of the individual sleeves in theplurality of sleeves, such that when the pillow assembly is moved by auser, the plurality of sleeves remain substantially in place. In afurther example, when cover 132 encases both the pillow insert 100 andpadding component 120, cover 132 is configured to limit movement betweenthe pillow insert and the padding component. Accordingly, inembodiments, cover 132 comprises a stretchable material capable ofstretching to encase the pillow insert 100 and padding component 120.Cover 132 may be made of any material, so long as it is capable ofencasing the pillow insert 100 and/or the padding component 120. In someembodiments, cover 132 comprises polyester, cotton, ticking, nylon,cotton muslin, muslin, TENCEL® lyocell, bamboo, cooling fabric, orcombination thereof.

In some embodiments, cover 132 encases the pillow insert 100 and paddingcomponent 120. In alternative embodiments such as illustrated in FIG. 7,cover 132 encases the pillow insert 100 directly. In furtherembodiments, cover 132 of the pillow assembly 200 encases the pillowinsert 100, and the padding component 120 is arranged over the cover.

In embodiments, pillow assembly 200 comprises cover 132 and an outercover 134. A pillow assembly 200 comprising outer cover 134 isillustrated in FIG. 8. In some embodiments, outer cover 134 encasescover 132, which encases the pillow insert 100 and padding component120. In other embodiments, outer cover 134 encases a padding component120 arranged over cover 132, which encases the pillow insert 100. Theouter cover 134 may be made of any suitable material, so long as it iscapable of encasing the pillow insert 100 and padding component 120, oneor both of which may be encased in the cover 132. Accordingly, in someembodiments, outer cover 134 comprises a stretchable material capable ofstretching to encase the pillow insert 100 and padding component 120,one or both of which may be encased in the cover 132. In someembodiments, outer cover 134 comprises polyester, cotton, ticking,nylon, cotton muslin, muslin, TENCEL lyocell, bamboo, cooling fabric, orcombination thereof.

In some embodiments, the pillow assembly has a height P_(H) of about 2to about 3 inches in an uncompressed state (see FIG. 8). In someembodiments, the pillow assembly has a height P_(H) of about 3 to about8 inches. In further embodiments, the pillow assembly has a height P_(H)of about 3 to about 6 inches, about 2 to about 6, about 2 to about 5,about 2 to about 5, or about 2 to about 3 inches in an uncompressedstate. In yet further embodiments, the pillow assembly is about 2, about2.25, about 2.5, about 2.75, about 3, about 3.5, about 4, about 4.5,about 5, about 5.5, or about 6 in height P_(H) in an uncompressed state.In embodiments, the pillow assembly does not change substantially inheight in a compressed state compared to the uncompressed state, i.e.,the pillow assembly changes in height by less than about 20%, less thanabout 15%, less than about 10%, or less than about 5% when compressedfrom the uncompressed state. In other embodiments, height P_(H) can varywithin the same sleeve 110 to create a contour or other shaped pillowsurface, suitably over the range of about 2-6 inches within the samesleeve.

As described herein, in embodiments, the pillow assembly of the presentdisclosure advantageously provides a substantially flat planar pillowsurface upon applying pressure. In some embodiments, the substantiallyflat planar pillow surface of the pillow assembly is formed by thesleeves of the pillow insert pressing against an adjacent sleeve alongan adjacent side. In certain embodiments, the substantially flat planarpillow surface of the pillow assembly is substantially seamless. Inother embodiments, providing each sleeve substantially against theadjacent sleeve provides a desirable pillow surface, including a flatplanar pillow surface, as described herein.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should beunderstood that they have been presented only as illustrations andexamples of the present invention, and not by way of limitation. It willbe apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that various changesin form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention. Thus, the breadth and scope of the presentinvention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplaryembodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the appendedclaims and their equivalents. It will also be understood that eachfeature of each embodiment discussed herein, and of each reference citedherein, can be used in combination with the features of any otherembodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pillow insert comprising: a plurality ofsleeves, wherein each sleeve is substantially filled with a softmaterial and attached to an adjacent sleeve at least at one end andpartially or completely unattached along an adjacent side, wherein, eachsleeve is substantially against the adjacent sleeve such that a pillowsurface is provided.
 2. The pillow insert of claim 1, wherein eachsleeve has a shape substantially of a triangle, a rectangle, a square, ahexagon, an octagon, a cylindrical tube, or a cross.
 3. The pillowinsert of claim 2, wherein each sleeve has the shape of the cylindricaltube, and the pillow insert is about 2 to about 3 inches in height in anuncompressed state.
 4. The pillow insert of claim 1, wherein each sleeveis attached to the adjacent sleeve at a first end.
 5. The pillow insertof claim 1, wherein each sleeve is completely unattached along eachadjacent side.
 6. The pillow insert of claim 1, wherein the plurality ofsleeves are arranged adjacent to one another along a longitudinal axisacross the pillow insert.
 7. The pillow insert of claim 1, wherein thesoft material comprises polyester fiberfill, down, feather, foam, orcombination thereof.
 8. A pillow assembly comprising: a pillow insertcomprising a plurality of sleeves, wherein each sleeve is substantiallyfilled with a soft material and attached to an adjacent sleeve at leastat one end and partially or completely unattached along an adjacentside, wherein each sleeve is substantially against the adjacent sleevesuch that a pillow surface is provided; a padding component arranged onat least one outer side of the pillow insert; and a cover, wherein thepillow insert and the padding component are encased in the cover.
 9. Thepillow assembly of claim 8, wherein each sleeve has a shapesubstantially of a triangle, a rectangle, a square, a hexagon, anoctagon, a cylindrical tube, or a cross.
 10. The pillow assembly ofclaim 9, wherein each sleeve has the shape of the cylindrical tube, andthe pillow assembly is about 2 to about 3 inches in height in anuncompressed state.
 11. The pillow assembly of claim 8, wherein eachsleeve is attached to the adjacent sleeve at a first end.
 12. The pillowassembly of claim 8, wherein each sleeve is unattached along eachadjacent side.
 13. The pillow assembly of claim 8, wherein the pluralityof sleeves are arranged adjacent to one another along a longitudinalaxis across the pillow insert.
 14. The pillow assembly of claim 8,wherein the padding component is arranged on both a first outer side anda second outer side of the pillow insert.
 15. The pillow assembly ofclaim 16, wherein the padding component comprises a first paddingcomponent substantially covering the first outer side of the pillowinsert, and a second padding component substantially covering the secondouter side of the pillow insert.
 16. The pillow assembly of claim 8,further comprising an outer cover.
 17. The pillow assembly of claim 18,wherein the cover is configured to encase the pillow insert and thepadding component to limit movement therebetween, and the outer cover isconfigured to encase the cover.
 18. A pillow assembly comprising: apillow insert comprising a plurality of sleeves, wherein each sleeve hasa shape of a cylindrical tube, is substantially filled with a softmaterial, and each sleeve is attached to an adjacent sleeve at a firstend and unattached along each adjacent side, wherein each sleeve issubstantially against the adjacent sleeve such that a pillow surface isprovided; a first padding component substantially covering a first outerside of the pillow insert; a second padding component substantiallycovering a second outer side of the pillow insert; a cover configured toencase the pillow insert and the first and second padding components tolimit movement therebetween; and an outer cover configured to encase thecover, wherein the pillow assembly is about 2 to about 3 inches inheight in an uncompressed state.
 19. The pillow insert of claim 1,wherein the pillow insert is about 3 inches to about 6 inches in heightin an uncompressed state.
 20. The pillow insert of claim 1, wherein uponapplying pressure to one or more outer sides of the plurality ofsleeves, the substantially flat planar pillow surface is substantiallyseamless.